Have home security cam? Monmouth cops could use your help

In Monmouth County, the sheriff's office and other law enforcement agencies are enlisting the help of residents and businesses to volunteer their video surveillance for Operation Watchdog.

If you have a home or business surveillance camera — register it.

"That allows us to have real time information on our map and computer-aided dispatch system where it shows that, if there is an incident or some type of criminal activity in the area, there is a little icon on the map there, and an address that says we have cameras available to law enforcement and accessible," Sheriff Shaun Golden said. "And certainly, that will help fight crime or solve some incidents that occur in those neighborhoods."

But Golden also emphasized that the plan is not an attempt to use video surveillance to spy on anyone.

"We do not tie into those systems. But we would like to get them to partner with us to allow us to view those systems," he said.

Golden referred to the program as "just another tool in the tool box for law enforcement to partner with our resident and our private business owners."